Cheesy Kielbasa & Broccoli Skillet

Sometimes you need a big bowl of something covered in cheese. If you add broccoli to the bowl of something covered in cheese, you feel much better about eating it. Proven fact.
Initially, I was going to just sprinkle some cheese on this and call it a night, but the box of salsa con queso I purchased on a whim caught my eye and beckoned me. I had a $1.00 off coupon AND a $2.00 rebate, so I tossed it in my cart. It’s no question that queso will get eaten in this household.

This is the brand I used. I am not a spokesperson for them; they don’t know I used and enjoyed their product. I’m not getting any kickbacks. I merely tell you this because this specific one is vegetarian and gluten free. I also feel pretty good about the ingredient list compared to other brands of queso.

TIME SAVING:The only thing that really takes any time with this recipe is the rice.
Next time you cook rice for anything, cook an extra 1/2 cup. Rice triples, so you would reserve 1 1/2 cups cooked rice. You can stash it in the refrigerator if you plan to make this recipe within a few days, or freeze it for later.MONEY SAVING:
Kielbasa will keep for a while in the refrigerator, but if there’s a good sale on it, it’s always worth keeping some in the freezer for quick meals.
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. I used frozen simply because there was a great sale on the big bags of frozen broccoli, so I stocked up.
Buy your rice from the bulk bin section of your grocery store to save loads of money. Save a jar or container to store it in when you get home.
As I mentioned above, I had $3.00 worth of coupons for this specific queso, which is a big part of why I used it. I had a manufacturer’s coupon that was in one of those coupon booklets the store passes out. I also had a $2.00 rebate on the Ibotta app. (Use this link to sign up for Ibotta and get an extra $10.00!)VARIATIONS:
To make this recipe vegetarian, you can certainly just leave out the kielbasa and have broccoli and rice. I would probably use more broccoli though. I think a can of pinto beans would be delicious in there too though, to help up some fiber/protein.

Combine rice and paprika, set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat (#7), add the oil, broccoli and kielbasa. Cook, stirring occasionally until broccoli is done. (Check a piece periodically until you reach your desired texture.)
Stir in the rice and queso and cook just until heated through.
Serve.